OBSCUROS

I've been listening to Obsuros a lot now for about a month, and this album just keeps growing on me. I was first turned on to Disconnect with Fragments and Radio Hostile. Radio Hostile being the more solid effort of the first two releases, but Obsuros takes Disconnect to new levels, and on to something that could be great.

The album opens up with The Visitor. A good track, and solid opener. Circadian Rhythms is a track that took me a bit to get into, but is now one of my favorites. The techno intro at first did little for me, but is now absolutely mesmerizing. Can't imagine this song with out it now. Lyrically, this is one of the more solid efforts on the album, and a catchy chorus to boot.

I'm a sucker for the lone instrumental on an album, and the title track, Obscuros, is no exception. There's a brief moment that reminds me of the Echoes jam...great stuff. K.G. is my least favorite track on the album, while a good track, it seems out of place on Obsuros, and seems more Radio Hostilish.

What Else Left to Say is the longest track on the album, clocking in at over 14 minutes. This track flows really nice from soft to hard, followed by some really tasty work by O'Dell on the guitar. Aggregate Waste is another one of those tracks that grew on me, and is now one of my favorite tracks.The ideas in the track may have been better suited for a 5 or 6 minute piece, but it still works fine at 7 minutes.

The album closes with Outlander and A Most Unpleasant Business...probably my favorite portion of the album. Outlander has my favorite vocals on the album, as well as a great instrumental section that caught me off guard, that leads to some more tasty O'Dell guitar work. A Most Unpleasant Business caught me from the opening chords, on the first listen. The subdued vocal segments that follow are the perfect complement to it. I especially like the background keys (?) that accompany the chord progression when it is reprised. The song is the perfect album closer, as the build to the finish the song is probably the finest moment of the album. So good, that it usually leads me to start the album again.

Obscuros is a very solid album, and I can't wait to see how Disconnect builds upon this giant leap.